Vaude

Production locations

• Vietnam 
• Myanmar
• Cambodia
• Germany
• China
• Portugal
• Lithuania
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• Romania 
• Austria

Working Conditions & Living Wages

VAUDE manufactures some of its products at its own facility in Tettnang-Obereisenbach, Germany, as well as within Europe. However, the majority of its products are produced in Asia. To ensure good working conditions, suppliers in high-risk countries are closely monitored.

Myanmar presents risks as a production country, so VAUDE works intensively to ensure that production sites meet high due diligence standards. Despite the military coup in 2021, the company has maintained its partnerships in Myanmar to secure jobs, livelihoods, and ongoing compliance with social standards. By the end of 2024, VAUDE will end production in two factories that fail to meet these due diligence requirements.

VAUDE advocates for equal opportunities, employee representation, fair wages, health protection, and is committed to combating discrimination, child labour, and forced labour.

Since 2010, the company has been a member of Fair Wear and has achieved Leader status for nine consecutive years, which recognises companies with exemplary social standards in their supply chains. During the annual Brand Performance Check, VAUDE must demonstrate that it meets due diligence requirements for promoting responsible working conditions. Fair Wear independently monitors working conditions within the production chain.

The company places great importance on long-term, partnership-based relationships with its suppliers. VAUDE is committed to the Fair Wear Code of Labour Practice. CSR staff in China and Vietnam support producers and suppliers in implementing social standards and regularly review progress through site visits. Long-term business relationships are essential for the brand, as they allow for deeper insights into factory operations and greater involvement in processes.

VAUDE is actively contributing to compliance with the 1.5‑degree target and is implementing various initiatives to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The company aims to be climate-neutral by 2040.
Production in the company’s own factory uses 100% renewable energy and the entire company site fulfils the highest environmental standards with ISO 14001 and EMAS certifications. 

Materials

• Polyester (recycled)
• Polyester
• Polyamide
• Polypropylene
• Thermoplastic polyurethane
• Polyurethane
• Polyamide (recycled)
• Polyoxymethylene
• aluminium
• Polyamide (recycled mass balance)
• Polypropylene (recycled)
• Elastane
• Thermoplastic elastomer
• Cotton (organic)
• Down
• Wool (merino)
• Leather (goat, cow)
• Lyocell
• Hemp (recycled)

The most commonly used material is recycled polyester. This alternative to conventional polyester is considered more sustainable, but still harbours the risk of releasing microplastics. This has a negative impact on the environment, especially on oceans, soil, animals and ultimately on human health.

VAUDE is committed to reducing microplastic pollution and has launched a research project to minimise the release of microplastic particles from synthetic textiles during household laundry. Partners from the sporting goods industry, the washing machine and detergent industry as well as research institutions and environmental protection organisations were involved. If you want to read more about the environmental impact of recycled polyester, read our article. 

Packaging

VAUDE is working to reduce the environmental footprint of its packaging by switching to polybags made from recycled material. These are already being used for backpacks and the switch is to be extended to other products such as clothing and tents. The new polybags are made from post-consumer recycled material and are RCS or GRS certified, which helps to save raw materials and reduce the carbon footprint.

VAUDE has contributed to the polybag standard as part of the European Outdoor Group’s Single Use Plastics project.

Water usage & chemicals

VAUDE’s Green Shape label ensures that a product is made from at least 50% bio-based or recycled materials. In addition, all suppliers are environmentally certified and production is energy-saving and without harmful chemicals – for example, in compliance with the bluesign® standard.
Since 2021, all materials for VAUDE clothing, backpacks and shoes have been completely PFAS-free and VAUDE is continuously working on PFA-free alternatives.
The company works towards a more sustainable circular economy and stands for less use of water, chemicals and CO2.

The company emphasises recyclability, function, timeless aesthetics and reparability. They are increasingly trying to implement the cradle-to-cradle principle through the Green Shape label, which covers every step of the cycle, from production and materials to reparability and recycling.

Circular product design

The functionality of outdoor products often requires combinations of materials to ensure properties such as water and wind resistance or abrasion resistance. To promote the recycling process, many VAUDE products are made from PET.
For VAUDE, the circular economy means using discarded items as a source of materials instead of using new raw materials for products. 
In production, the company takes care to avoid waste by upcycling leftover materials into new products that are auctioned off for charity in the eBay Upcycling Store.

Circular business models

VAUDE offers a repair service and has initiated a repair café where products can be repaired together. 
VAUDE also has an online shop for second-hand products where used outdoor equipment and clothing can be professionally cleaned, refurbished and then purchased or rented. In this way, the company is helping to extend the product life cycle of products and inspire more sustainable consumer behaviour.
In addition, the website offers clear step-by-step repair instructions that explain to customers how holes can be patched or individual parts replaced, for example, in order to extend the life cycle of a product. 

VAUDE is the first company to successfully pass the stricter audit of the government’s Green Button 2.0 seal. The Green Button, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), promotes more sustainable conditions in global textile supply chains.

Distance & complexity of the supply chain

Production countries:

• Vietnam 
• Myanmar
• Cambodia
• Cambodia Germany
• China
• Portugal
• Lithuania
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• Romania 
• Austria

The company is based in Tettnang, Germany.
VAUDE exports to around 50 countries worldwide.

Transportation

• The majority of products arrive in containers by ship to Hamburg and are then transported to the warehouse in Tettnang by rail and lorry. 
  Air freight is only used in exceptional cases. VAUDE prefers transport by ship, train or lorry in order to be more climate-friendly. The company is constantly working on optimising goods logistics and reducing CO₂ emissions.
• VAUDE ships worldwide with DHL.

VAUDE is clearly committed to a more sustainable supply chain and is constantly optimising its goods logistics in order to reduce CO₂ emissions. Nevertheless, the large number of production countries and the long transport routes remain a challenge, as they entail a complex supply chain.

• Merino wool
• Native organic wool
• Down
• Cowhide
• Goatskin

Some VAUDE products are vegan, only the shoes made from chrome-free tanned leather and the clothing and sleeping bags made from wool or down are not vegan.
VAUDE is proud to use down that is certified in accordance with both the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and the Global Recycling Standard (GRS). The company also uses merino wool that complies with the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and lavalan® wool insulation made from local organic wool. 
The leather is Terracare® leather – leather from leftover stock from German bull farms – and has been awarded the gold medal for high environmental compatibility several times by the Leather Working Group. 
VAUDE is a member of the Fur Free Retailer Programme.

‘Buy less and buy better’ is an important philosophy for VAUDE. The brand wants to ensure that its products are used for as long as possible. To support this, they optimise the quality of their products and provide tips on care and repair. Customers can also order spare parts to repair a VAUDE product if necessary.

Product design

VAUDE offers special clothing and equipment for outdoor activities and active everyday life, including practical rainwear, functional jackets, trousers, waterproof bags and rucksacks as well as tents and sleeping bags. 

Slow fashion processes

VAUDE is actively committed to preventing overproduction through a carefully developed planning process and launches two collections a year.

Transparency on product

Each product is described in detail on the product page in terms of country of production, relevant certifications, care instructions, technologies used and materials used. This enables a better assessment of the quality and sustainability of the products and customers have the opportunity to make informed purchasing decisions that meet their individual needs. 

Transparency on processes

The company communicates transparently about every step of the supply chain. To do so, VAUDE uses Trustrace to indicate where a product is produced and gives the exact address of the factory (Tier 1) and the year since they started working with it. 
VAUDE also addresses topics such as microplastic emissions on its website and openly positions itself with regard to new draft directives from the European Commission. The company also breaks down the costs of an average product on its website. They show great commitment to greater sustainability and point out ways in which they can still improve.